This Alcatel Idol (one of Alcatel’s premier phone series) edition may have more than a handful to offer multimedia-wise, but the biggest pro for us (though understated), is the gargantuan 512GB maximum external memory support escorting its rather mellow 32GB native memory. As indicated in the graph below, a comparison against some premium-caliber models shows how much its 512GB microSD support blows some flagships out of the water.Jumping over to its multimedia features, the Idol 5s blasts audio through two front-firing 3.6W speakers , which we think likely appeals to audiophiles, considering that not many upscale models rock dual frontal speakers. As for imaging, its 12-megapixel FHD-video-recording primary camera will not turn any heads, but with a dual-tone LED flash and phase-detection autofocus (PDAF) on board, it should do the trick. Additionally, it touts an appreciable 8-megapixel 1.4um OV8865 selfie camera , although it does not sound that flashy, given its lack of a dedicated LED light for selfies .

For battery, the Idol 5s misses out on a 3000mAh power bar , instead opting for a 2620mAh battery, but its way-above-average 3G talk time (1200 minutes) and 3G standby time (753 hours) are greatly-reassuring. Bringing all its pros and cons together is the Idol 5s’s 5.2-inch Full HD (1920 x 1080), which Alcatel spruced up using a Dragontrail 2.5D cover glass and an oleophobic/anti-fingerprint coating . The brand also threw in an LED indicator for events and charging, among other things, with the Android 7.1 Nougat topping it off.

The Alcatel Idol 5s can record high-resolution (1920 x 1080 pixels) movies. Bravo! But we couldn’t determine whether it had an HDMI port or not. Granted, HDMI (which lets you connect to your HDTV), is not an absolute necessity, but it seems like a desirable feature on an HD phone.